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Show 2 btf J. M. Amberson, M.D. Respiratory Illness In the United States, respiratory respira-tory illnesses cause more time loss from work and recreation than any other disease. An esti- "V ' "jfi"0 sL maed one-bil-7 , f 11' ' Hon cases occur f vS each year, with V an accompany- ' j economic I T J loss of $5 ' Jv r ' Hon. The com- ; J ,mon cold, pneu- and influenza, are among the ranks of respiratory illnesses, and are most frequent during blustery winter months like these. The common cold is the most "common" of all respiratory ill- nesses. Rare indeed is the pers6n who doesn't catch cold at least once a year and many of us have two or three in one year. Colds are spread in the acute stage directly from person to person, but in most instances the virus is carried through the air for some distance. And it's startling start-ling to realize that one person in five with an ordinary cold or sore throat conies down with some further infection before he gets well. For example, at least 75 percent of all cases of lobar pneumonia pneu-monia give a history of an initial cold. Many babies with a cold develop a middle-ear infection. Medical advances, such as the "flu" vaccine and penicillin, are helping to prevent or cure respiratory res-piratory illnesses. It is generally agreed that the antibiotics should not be used to treat an acute cold but should be reserved for com-, com-, plications. Certain simple princi- pies should be emphasized: avoid j close contact with cold-sufferers, I coughers and sneezers; never share a drinking glass: keep gen-; gen-; oral health good these are a few vital common sense tips. The most infectious stage of a cold is within the first 48 hours. That's when you should be in bed, if possible. You'll be more comfortable, less likely to develop de-velop serious complications and will not spread the malady to friends and fellow workers. If a minor sore throat accompanies the cold, Chloraseptic, a nonprescription non-prescription oral solution, has been found very effective in relieving throat pain and discomfort. dis-comfort. Chloraseptic usually relieves re-lieves minor sore throats within seconds after sprayine or gargling, gar-gling, clinical researchers have found. It is always sound advice to consult your physician if you run a high fever, if your cold and sore throat seem to linger on, or if accompanied by aches and pains and malaise. |